A' is for Alligator
by BeeBeeGee
Summary: COMPLETE. Did you ever watch Attack of the Alligators and want more? Never saw it? No worries. Just read on. Alan and Gordon. TV verse.
1. Chapter 1

Memory is a funny thing. What seemed edge-of-the seat suspenseful years ago made me LMAO when I recently saw the episode 'Attack of the Alligators' on DVD. A second viewing has left me feeling a bit more charitably toward the old television series and actually wanting more, so much so that I've committed fanfic. I'm supposed to be editing the next chapter of a story in another fandom, but my muses wouldn't leave me alone until I jotted this down.

If you're not familiar with the episode, it's probably for the best. I mean … for pity's sake, giant alligators?! Anyway, I've summarized the relevant details below. Tin-Tin's words near the beginning are direct quotes from the eppy. Happy reading!

TBTBTBTB

**'A' is for Alligator**

By BeeBeeGee

Part 1 of 2

TBTBTBTB

Alan Tracy was not a happy man. He had just spent the past half hour in Tin-Tin's company, trying not to offend her. It had not been easy.

_Earlier …_

Alan and his family members were relaxing in the living room after the successful completion of a harrowing assignment. A scientific experiment gone horribly wrong had resulted in the formation of a trio of giant alligators. A call for help had gone out to International Rescue after the alligators began to attack the scientists and their bayou home.

When they arrived, the members of International Rescue found that the vegetation, soggy ground, and tree canopy of the swampland made safe travel difficult. The terrain also meant that simply blowing the creatures into bits was out of the question. The cramped quarters raised the possibility that they might accidentally blow up the humans right along with the alligators if they fired missiles at the creatures. Fortunately, Brains had supplied the team with a large supply of a tranquilizing drug. When fired from the guns mounted on Thunderbird 2, the drug knocked the reptiles out just long enough for the humans to hurry past the slumbering giants.

That worked great except for the one alligator who was actively attacking the house. The limited maneuvering area combined with the people sheltering behind the crumbling walls of the house meant that no large weapons could be fired. One of the people sheltering in the house was Scott.

Virgil, Gordon, and Alan were unable to contact their brother despite numerous attempts. They could only hope that Scott was still alive. The three waiting safely in Thunderbird 2 engaged in a rapid exchange of ideas. The simplest plan was also the riskiest, but the Tracy brothers finally decided upon their best hope for a solution to the problem presented by the third alligator.

Alan mounted a hover bike and rode out toward the alligator that was in the process of demolishing the house. When he'd been watching the giant beast from the safety of Thunderbird 2, Alan had known it was big, but more in a "when you're watching Godzilla on television you know he's a big-ass monster" sort of way. Up close and personal, Alan thought, "This is insane! One lunge and snap of its jaws, and I'm a big gulp for a gator. Who's brilliant idea was this, anyway?" As he made himself human bait and began to lure the monster away from the house, Alan twisted his lips in a frown and answered his own question. "Oh, yeah, that's right. This was my plan."

In an effort to convince both himself and the alligator that he wasn't scared, Alan teased, "Come on, a big tough guy like you doesn't want to play house. Wouldn't you rather play with the nice hover bike? Trust me, it's way more cool." Almost as if the reptile understood his words, the alligator turned away from the house and began to follow Alan.

Alan cursed. "Damn, that thing moves fast. I'd better move faster, because the object of this game is definitely not to get caught." Alan had his work cut out for him, trying to keep track of the rapidly moving alligator while dodging the many obstacles in the terrain ahead. The vegetation narrowed tunnel-like around him, until Alan realized in a horrified split-second of thought that there was no room for the hover bike ahead. Before Alan had the time to think, "Oh, no!" the hover bike smashed into an obstructing tree limb. Alan was unable to right either himself or the bike. He became airborne for a terrifying moment as he parted company with the bike before his falling body slammed face-first into the ground. Alan's head ached abominably as he turned to face the oncoming danger. He could feel consciousness slipping from his control despite his desperation to hang on. The last thing he remembered was the alligator looming large and menacing above him.

He woke up in Thunderbird 2 to find that the rescue had been completed without him. Virgil had been following his progress from the 'Bird, and had judged the alligator's distance from the house sufficient for Gordon to safely shoot it with the tranquilizer at the moment of Alan's accident. They'd rescued Alan while Scott rescued the remaining scientists.

Alan had been diagnosed with a mild concussion. As much as he would have liked to sleep the rest of the day away, the steady pain from his headache kept him awake. He joined his father and brothers in the family room as they reviewed the details of their latest rescue. They all agreed that it was a job well done, and had just finished their self-congratulations when Tin-Tin walked into the room.

She knew that the Thunderbirds had just returned from a mission, and asked for additional details. "How was the rescue? Tell me all about it."

Alan did not feel much like talking. Virgil waved a careless hand in the air and stated, "There was this house on a swamp." When he did not continue, Scott took up the conversation, adding, "And a couple of scientists working on a new drug." Neither man bothered to mention the giant deadly alligators. They made it seem as if the job had been completely boring. Alan expected Gordon to jump in with the exciting details, but his brother remained strangely silent. In retrospect, Alan should have suspected Gordon was guilty of something at that moment. Alan later blamed his initial lack of suspicion on his head injury.

When the Tracys failed to offer any further explanation regarding their latest rescue, Tin-Tin did not press them for further details. "That's okay, you can tell me all about it later."

She was eager to share the details of her latest shopping expedition. She turned to the youngest Tracy with a smile. "Alan, I've brought something for you. I know it's not your birthday until tomorrow, but come and see."

Alan couldn't help but smile. In all the excitement, he'd completely forgotten that tomorrow was his birthday. It was nice to know that Tin-Tin had remembered. Even better, it seemed that she had bought him a gift. Oddly, that gift was to be presented in the bathroom.

Thinking that his concussion was affecting his hearing, Alan asked for clarification as he exited the family room behind Tin-Tin. "Did you say that my gift is in the bathroom?"

Tin-Tin gave a happy nod in response. "Oh yes. Come and see!"

She hurried ahead and pointed toward the bathtub as if she were a game show hostess presenting a prize. "Look!"

Alan looked, then took a step backward and tried not to let the horror he felt show on his face. He must have been successful in his ruse because Tin-Tin seemed unaware that she had caused him any distress.

She was nearly dancing on her toes in excitement as she explained, "You always said how nice it would be to have a pet."

Alan tried to smile, but he knew his expression was more of a grimace. "That's, uh … nice." He paused as he tried to think of something else to say about the disgusting creature swimming in the bathtub. He swore then and there that he would never again set foot in that particular bathtub. In as neutral a tone of voice as he could manage, he stated what he'd seen: "A baby alligator."

Tin-Tin clarified his mistaken assumption and explained, "Actually, it's fully grown. It's a special breed of alligator: a pygmy alligator."

Alan turned away from the bathtub so that he could lie more convincingly as he responded, "Tin-Tin … Thank you. It's what I've always wanted: a cute little alligator."

When Tin-Tin began to go into great detail regarding the reptile's care and feeding, Alan resorted to desperate measures in order to get her to stop talking about the damn alligator. He raised a hand to the bandage on his forehead and lowered his aching forehead gently into his palm. "Tin-Tin, I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling well."

Tin-Tin immediately abandoned her lesson on reptile care and focused her concern onto Alan. "Oh, my, I noticed the bandage earlier but when no one said anything I didn't think anything was really wrong."

Alan was usually trying to convince people that he was feeling 100 percent when he was under the weather, so it was rather odd to realize that he was about to reveal a physical infirmity. Remembering the pygmy alligator, he thought to himself, 'Desperate times call for desperate measures,' and confessed to Tin-Tin, "I got knocked around a bit today. It seems that I have a mild concussion."

Tin-Tin was all kind concern and sympathy, and Alan allowed himself to be coddled. While Tin-Tin walked with him to the den and helped him to settle comfortably onto the sofa, Alan had time to think about the odd circumstances of Tin-Tin's gift selection. Before she could leave the room, he decided to test his hypothesis. "I was wondering …"

Tin-Tin encouraged him to continue. "Yes?"

"I may not be thinking too clearly right now, what with the concussion I have, but I don't recall ever saying something to you about wanting an alligator as a pet." He turned his statement into a less-accusatory question by adding, "Have I?"

Tin-Tin answered, "I don't remember you ever telling me, no."

Alan waved a hand in question and asked, "Well, then, what made you think that I might like one? It's just, I'm wondering if I might have to thank one of my brothers as well as you for my gift."

Tin-Tin smiled. "I wish I could say that I somehow knew what kind of pet you would like, but I don't, or didn't. When I was in the pet shop today, I thought that you might like something more ordinary like a cat, or perhaps a dog. However, people who like cats don't always like dogs, and people who like dogs don't always like cats, and I wasn't certain whether you were a cat person or a dog person, or what type of cat or dog you might like best. I couldn't quite decide, so I rang up your brother Gordon."

Alan nodded. "And he told you that I'd prefer an alligator."

Tin-Tin nodded. "Actually, from what Gordon says I know you'd rather have the larger sort of alligator that you see in zoos, but that's not quite practical when one doesn't have a ready-made alligator pen to keep it in."

Alan's slit-eyed glare promised retribution to his brother as he replied, "Oh, I don't know, that pool Gordon's always swimming in seems just about the right size for an alligator."

Tin-Tin disagreed, citing something about the chlorine in the pool being toxic to reptiles, but Alan was too busy hating his brother to pay attention. He vowed, "Gordon Tracy, you are a dead man."

TBTBTBTB

Concluded in Part 2


	2. Chapter 2

**'A' is for Alligator**

By BeeBeeGee

Part 2 of 2

TBTBTBTB

Alan's headache had faded to a dull throb by the next day, the result being that he was able to fully enjoy his birthday celebration. After the last gift had been opened and the last slice of cake had been eaten, Alan was able to reach a goal he'd been trying to attain all day: a moment alone with his brother Gordon.

Gordon looked around nervously when he realized that he and Alan were the only two people in the room. Alan stepped into Gordon's personal space and flung an arm across his brother's shoulders. His smile was bright and friendly as he stated, "Here we are, alone at last."

Gordon worried at his lower lip with his teeth. "Er, ah, yes, I guess we are."

Alan turned to look his brother in the eyes. Gordon turned away from Alan's intense glare while his younger brother stated, "Gordon, you seem a bit nervous. Is everything all right?"

Gordon shrugged. "Of course, why wouldn't it be?"

Rather than having the effect of removing Alan's arm, Gordon's shrug caused his brother's arm to shift up and around his neck, pulling him in uncomfortably close to Alan. The younger Tracy snarled, "Cut the bullshit. Tin-Tin ratted you out, you sneak."

Now that Gordon knew for sure what they were talking about, he prudently ducked down and away from his brother's tightening grip. He laughed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Alan raised his voice. "Like hell you don't! Alligators, my ass!"

Gordon tried to look innocent and failed miserably. "I noticed you walked all the way down the hall to the other bathroom last night. Is there something wrong with yours?"

Alan grabbed a throw pillow from a nearby sofa and chucked it toward his brother's head. Gordon easily dodged the fluffy missile. Alan cursed. "You know damn well what's wrong with OUR bathroom, you asshole!"

Gordon dodged around the sofa and out of reach of his rampaging brother. "I just wish I could've seen the look on your face when Tin-Tin gave you your present. I bet it was a real Kodak moment."

Alan snarled, "Just remember, paybacks are a bitch, and you're a bastard!"

Gordon shook his head, feigning a scold. "You shouldn't speak ill of our father by using the 'b' word."

"I'm speaking ill of you, because there's no way you and I are related!" Alan let out an impressive string of curse words and began to circle around the sofa toward his brother.

Gordon was fully prepared to let Alan chase him around the sofa a few times. He was not prepared for the flying leap that Alan took at him right over the top of the sofa. Well, the attempted flying leap. It seemed that one of the lingering effects from Alan's concussion was that his balance was slightly off. Instead of clearing the sofa and landing on top of his brother, his feet and lower legs impacted the top of the sofa and caused the whole thing to fall over onto Gordon with a tremendous crash.

Alan looked startled and more than a little bit worried. He'd managed to jump clear of both Gordon and the sofa as he fell. "Shit! Gordon! Are you okay?"

Gordon winced. "Ow!"

The rest of the family came running at the disastrous sound.

Jeff Tracy roared, "What the hell is going on?"

Gordon responded, "I think we might've broken the sofa." He added, "And maybe, me?" He pushed weakly at the object pinning him to the floor. "Would someone please get this thing off of me?"

Scott and Virgil quickly moved into action, removed the sofa, and helped Gordon to sit, and then stand. After a quick physical assessment, Gordon stated, "Nothing's broken. I think I'll live."

Scott shook his head. "You're going to have a fine set of bruises. By the morning, you might be regretting the fact that you're alive."

Jeff interrogated the youngest Tracy. "Is there something going on between you two?"

Alan shook his head in denial. "Nothing more than usual. I just got a little bit too enthusiastic in thanking Gordon for my present."

Jeff was confused. "If this is how you react to a gift certificate to Amazon, I'm glad I got you a clock."

In fact, perhaps out of guilt for his part in Tin-Tin's pygmy alligator purchase, Gordon had given Alan a rather generously loaded gift card to be used toward any Amazon purchase that Alan cared to make.

Virgil examined the sofa. "I'm afraid the cost of repairing this will make it just as economical to replace it with a new one."

Jeff declared, "I'm sure that both Alan and Gordon will be more than happy to contribute the replacement cost."

Gordon questioned, "We will?" At Alan's sharp look in response, he turned his question into a statement of fact. "That is, of course we will."

The family members filed out of the room, with Alan and Gordon the last to leave. Gordon was slightly ahead when Alan stated, "Gordon, hang on a minute."

The redhead hesitated. "I don't know, remember what happened the last time we were alone together?"

Alan rubbed a hand against his aching head. "Despite my concussion, I do in fact remember the last few minutes." He dropped his hand and looked his brother straight in the eyes. "Look, I don't care what you do or how you do it, but get rid of the damn alligator." He added, "Hopefully, without hurting Tin-Tin's feelings."

Gordon nodded. "Hey, if it means I don't have to worry about paybacks, then you've got a deal."

Alan had a brief memory flash of the small pygmy alligator superimposed over the giant alligator in the swamp that had nearly ended his life and decided that he was not quite ready to unconditionally forgive his brother. He responded, "We'll see."

TBTBTBTB

The next day, Alan flew out to New York to attend to some business for his father. He was greeted by a smiling Gordon upon his return.

"Did you have a good trip?"

Alan nodded. "Yes, I did." He decided to get right to the point of the matter that was uppermost in his mind. "Did you get rid of the alligator?"

Gordon made a show of his reply. He pushed his shirtsleeves up his arms and announced, "Nothing up my sleeves. Abracadabra and Presto-Chango, no alligator." He smiled brightly. "If you don't believe me, go look in the bathtub."

Alan's shoulders slumped visibly in relief. "That's okay. I actually believe you. Thanks."

Gordon waved off Alan's thanks. "It was no problem." He decided it was time for a change of subject. "So, are you hungry?"

Alan replied, "You bet! What's cooking?"

Gordon headed into the kitchen with Alan. "Well, little brother, it just so happens that I've been taking cooking lessons." He approached a pot that was simmering on the stove and removed the lid. A delicious aroma surrounded the two men. "This is authentic Cajun cooking, something called 'Etouffee,' I think it's just a fancy name for stew, but what do I know?" He dipped a spoon into the mixture and sampled the contents. His face bore a blissful expression. "This is so good."

Gordon dipped the spoon into the pot and offered a spoonful to Alan. "Here, try some."

Alan was not always quick to trust his brother, as Gordon had a well-earned reputation as a prankster. However, Alan had watched Gordon eat from the same spoon, so he decided that it was safe to take Gordon up on his offer to try a little bit of the stew. Alan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Mm. This is good." He grabbed another spoon, and the two men began to eat directly from the pot.

Alan analyzed the ingredients as he ate. "Okay, I recognize the celery and the tomato; and the onion; with, hm, a bit of garlic?"

Gordon nodded, too busy eating to offer a verbal response as Alan continued, "And the meat. First, I thought it was chicken, but now I'm not sure."

Gordon set down his spoon and took a step back. He spoke. "You're right. It's not chicken." He paused for dramatic effect, then continued, "You should be able to guess what it is."

Alan decided he didn't want to play this particular game. "I could think of a dozen things that taste like chicken, including chicken. Why don't you just tell me what it is?"

Gordon pointed toward the pot and declared, "It's alligator meat."

Alan put down his spoon. "Ha-ha." His stern tone of voice let Gordon know that he did not believe his brother. "No, it's not."

Gordon used his index finger to trace an 'X' over the left side of his chest. "Cross my heart."

Alan quickly added, "And hope you lie. It's not alligator."

Their discussion was interrupted by Kyrano's appearance. The older man made a 'tsking' sound. "You boys better not be eating from my pot."

Gordon did not bother to respond to the accusation, instead stating, "It's my pot, too. I helped."

Kyrano admitted, "Yes, you did. That does not mean you can forget your manners."

Gordon returned to the subject of his earlier discussion with Alan. "Hey, Kyrano, tell Alan what kind of meat is in this Etouffee."

"Certainly. It is alligator meat."

Alan took a step back, shocked. "It is? You're kidding." He quickly corrected himself. Gordon might be lying, but not Kyrano. The older man was one of the most honest people Alan knew. "Oh my god, you're not kidding." The stew that he had been praising mere minutes ago now sat heavily in his stomach. He hoped that it would not make a return trip. "Ah, look, I just got back from my trip, and I need to, uh, go." He quickly left the room.

Gordon lifted a hand an drew an imaginary '1' in the air. Sooner or later, Alan would discover that the alligator meat for the Etouffee had been provided by a specialty delicatessen. The former resident of Alan's bathtub was now living happily in an alligator sanctuary. Gordon hoped that Alan would discover that fact later rather than sooner. He was having too much fun.

With a happy sigh, Gordon grabbed a dish and served himself a generous portion of Etouffee. He hoped that Alan would appreciate the book that was currently sitting in the middle of his bed. Gordon had paid extra for express delivery so that the book would be present to greet Alan upon his return from New York.

TBTBTBTB

Gordon was halfway finished with his stew when Alan slammed a book onto the table in front of him. "Just so you know, I hate you." His eyes widened at the sight of the stew in Gordon's dish. Alan placed one hand across his mouth and an arm across his stomach as he hurried from the room.

Gordon picked up the book and began to read. "Alligators All Around, by Maurice Sendak. An alligator jamboree, with all the letters, A - Z."

TBTBTBTB

End


End file.
